Although it came against an FCS opponent, Northwestern earned a much-needed victory with a 42-6 home opener win over Western Illinois.
The ‘Cats looked sharp defensively and had their moments on offense. The cause for concern from the game, though, was Cam Porter’s lower-body injury in the third quarter. He was carted into the locker room and did not return. It could be a huge loss for NU if he’s forced to miss significant time.
Offensively, Preston Stone had a solid bounce-back game, converting 21-of-29
for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns. Porter had 12 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, but it was tough to see him go out with an injury. Griffin Wilde led the way through the air with 5 catches for 94 yards.
On defense, the ‘Cats held WIU to 181 total yards and only 10 first downs. The team had two sacks and an interception. The secondary was especially impressive with quite a few pass breakups. In total, NU outgained the Leathernecks by 345 yards and dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 11 minutes more than WIU.
Western Illinois won the toss and deferred, so the ‘Cats received the ball to begin the game. After a few short gains, Stone found Ricky Ahumaraeze for 19 yards. A few plays later, Porter pinballed off a few defenders for a 43-yard touchdown run. It was a great start for NU after a disastrous offensive game against Tulane.
The solid play continued as Northwestern forced a quick 3-and-out. On the first play of the possession, Stone delivered a 46-yard bomb to Griffin Wilde, and the ‘Cats quickly moved into WIU territory. NU was marching down the field and continued to pick up huge gains. After connections with Wilde and Porter, the team was already inside the 10. On third down, Stone found Hayden Eligon II for another touchdown. Instead of kicking an extra point, Lawson Albright ran it up the middle for a two-point conversion. NU took a quick 15-0 lead not even nine minutes into the game.
The Leathernecks began their second possession with a first down connection from quarterback Chris Irvin to Demari Davis. NU’s defense responded quickly though, as Mac Uihlein picked off Irvin after a deflection. To begin the next drive, Stone fired a pass into triple coverage and somehow connected with Wilde. But on the next play, NU turned it over with Chase Farrell fumbling the ball on an end-around run.
The defense continued its great play, and NU forced another quick punt to give itself a fourth possession of the first quarter. To close the frame, Stone found Ahumaraeze for a gain of 20. The drive stalled following two incompletions from Stone, and the Wildcats punted for the first time. WIU started inside its 20, and the secondary stood out with three pass breakups, leading to another punt. Fred Davis II made two nice plays and Dillon Tatum had a great deflection of his own.
Stone and the offense started in plus territory, looking to have another quality drive. The drive didn’t materialize, and a series of penalties led to a punt. The Leathernecks began their drive at their own 15, and Irvin seemed to settle in a bit with back-to-back completions. On the next play, Anto Saka was called for a roughing the passer penalty and came up holding his left shoulder. He was escorted out of the game and taken into the medical tent. However, the pass rusher seemed okay and returned to the game a few plays later.
After a few short gains by Western Illinois, NU got the ball back and started at its own 10. The good offensive mojo seemed to have dried up, and the ‘Cats went 3-and-out in under two minutes. Northwestern’s defense, led by a Carmine Bastone sack, made quick work of WIU’s next drive, and NU received the ball with four minutes remaining in the first half.
The drive began with four consecutive Joe Himon II carries, with the junior gaining 21 yards. After a few short runs, the ‘Cats decided to go for it on fourth down. They were stopped on a one-yard gain up the middle but were bailed on after a defensive offsides. Then, Stone connected with Wilde and Ahumaraeze, and NU was in the red zone. To close the drive, Stone delivered a strike to Hunter Welcing for a touchdown on fourth-and-one. Akers added the extra point, and NU extended its lead to 22. While it didn’t always go to plan, the ‘Cats took a 22-0 advantage into the break.
At the half, Stone was 16-for-20 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He looked pretty sharp, but still had a few questionable decisions and forced the ball into tight coverage. The run game was also solid with Porter leading the way with nine attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Northwestern was impressive, holding WIU to only four first downs. The team forced a turnover with Uihlein’s pick, and all three corners — Josh Fussell, Davis II and Tatum — had numerous pass breakups. The pass rush was also strong, and the ‘Cats looked to keep up their good play heading into the final 30 minutes.
To begin the second half, Western Illinois pulled off some trickery with Irvin handing the ball off to a running back who then flipped the ball to wide receiver Christian Anaya. After catching the lateral, Anaya launched a pass downfield to Demari Davis for 31 yards. That brought the Leathernecks into field goal range. Antonio Chadha attempted a field goal from 48 yards, but it hit off the left upright, and NU maintained its shutout.
The ‘Cats began their drive with a carry by Porter for six yards. Following an incompletion, Stone carried the ball for 13 yards. He didn’t look comfortable running it though and fumbled, but was able to recover. Porter continued to be the workhorse in the game back with two more carries. Unfortunately, he hobbled off the field after an 11-yard gain and was taken to the medical tent. From there, the drive stalled, and Akers drilled a 35-yard field goal. Following the field goal, Porter was carted to the locker room and did not return.
The Leathernecks went 3-and-out once again, and Northwestern looked to put more points on the board. NU moved down the field with gains of 14, 16 and 28 to bring the ball inside the 10. Himon II became the featured back — as Porter was out — and contributed two of those big plays. The drive halted quickly, and after a few incompletions, NU was forced to kick. Akers continued his strong day and connected on a 25-yarder.
Once again, WIU went 3-and-out. Northwestern’s defense, albeit against an FCS team, looked phenomenal. The ‘Cats faced a third down but had a commanding 28-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Caleb Komolafe had consecutive gains of 12 and 24 yards to begin the fourth, refusing to go down after first contact. Facing a third down, Stone pitched the ball forward to Drew Wagner, and he took it in for a touchdown. Jack Olsen came in for the point after, and Northwestern’s lead grew to 35.
Another quick 3-and-out ensued, and NU regained possession. The team brought in its backups, and Daniel Anderson had two carries for nine yards. Then, on third down, quarterback Ryan Boe delivered a nasty stiff arm and ran for 58 yards and a Northwestern touchdown. Olsen tacked on the point after, and the lead was 42-0.
Western Illinois scored its first points of the game with an eight-yard competition to Anaya. The ‘Cats gave up their shutout but still had a 35-point advantage. From there, Northwestern ran the clock out to get in the win column for the first time this season.
The ‘Cats will be back in action on Fox as a part of Big Noon Saturday at 11 a.m CST, taking on No. 6 Oregon at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
